There’s more to March than St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness. It’s also the middle of flu season. Knowing that may make you want stock up on vitamins and Airborne. However, following a few simple steps may be the difference between living a healthy life and a trip to the doctor’s office.
Wash your hands.
Marilyn Gordon, registered dietician and licensed nutritionist at NSU, said washing your hands is the most important way to keep germs away.
“People forget about washing their hands before they eat. If you think about being on campus, you open doors, hold books, trade items with your friends, and then you eat lunch,” Gordon said.
Paul Arena, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, said washing your hands is the best way to avoid contamination around campus, in public and at home.
Arena oversaw students in an independent research study class who examined the hygiene habits of individuals at NSU. The students found that out of 150 people, only 70 percent washed their hands. Out of that 70 percent, 73 percent used soap. However, no one washed their hands long enough.
“The Centers for Disease Control recommends you wash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds, or sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in your head twice,” said Arena. “No one came close in our study. The average was six seconds.”
Think about what you touch.
In another research study performed by Arena’s students, students tested parts of the bathrooms in the Parker Building and the Carl DeSantis Building to find out which had the most bacteria. According to the study, the handle on the paper towel dispenser held the most bacteria.
“The paper towel results were unpredictable, but the results probably attribute to the cleaning crew overlooking that site,” Arena said. “After washing your hands, you’re picking up a lot of contamination, which you can proceed to touch your face with.”
The study also revealed that the soap dispenser and toilet seat, held the second and third highest amount of bacteria.
Use hand antiseptics if a sink is unavailable.
Arena and Gordon recommend using antiseptic lotions and creams, which are placed around campus, because they are comparable to washing your hands.
Arena said, “It’s good to mix the two up, washing your hands and using antiseptic lotions, because you can get a film build up filled with bacteria after the alcohol dries.”
Buy a small hand sanitizer and keep it with you at all times and use it when necessary.
Eat nutrient-rich foods.
Another way to help prevent a cold is to eat food rich in nutrients to help keep your immune system strong, said Gordon.
Gordon recommended incorpor-ating Vitamins A, C and E into one’s diet. For Vitamin A, eat carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach. For Vitamin C, drink orange juice and eat oranges, broccoli, strawberries and kiwis. For Vitamin E, eat grains that are not processed like brown rice, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread.
“Just by eating fruit every day we can ensure getting Vitamin C,” Gordon said. “At Wild Greens in the University Center, you can order spinach leaves in your salads to get more Vitamin A in your diet. Also for Vitamin E, you can pack 20 almonds in a Ziploc bag for a healthy snack.”
Practice food safety.
Gordon said students get sick often because food wasn’t prepared properly or heated to the appropriate temperature.
She said, “There’s a danger zone for food safety. Foods should be below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. When food is between those two temperatures, bacteria start to multiply.”
Gordon advises against allowing yogurt to become warm in your backpack or leaving a cooler full of food in your car.
If you’re bringing a snack for school, pack one that doesn’t need refrigeration, and if you’re leaving a cooler in the car for lunch, make sure it is fully insulated with ice packs.
Preventing illness is about equipping the body with the proper immune boosters and knowing and practicing simple steps to guard against germs and bacteria.
